Green Winged Macaw

Common Name: Macaw - Green-wing

Other Common Names: Greenwing Macaw, Maroon Macaw, Red and Green Macaw, Red and Blue Macaw

Scientific Name: Ara chloroptera

Species Description:

The Green Winged Macaw, a beautiful bird, makes a friendly and feisty pet for those who can accommodate a noisy bird!  They are the world's second largest Macaw!

Red and Green Macaws grow to about 26 to 37 inches in length and have a 41 to 49 inch wingspan! They have red plumage with blue back, rump, and tail converts. The bare facial patch is crossed with red feather lines. Green Winged Macaws have green shoulders and inner secondary and median wing coverts; the rest of the wings are blue. Green Winged Macaws have blue edged red tail feathers, and males may have green edged feathers at the backs of their heads. The bill is horn coloured and prominent with black edges and a black lower mandible, and the feet are dark grey.

They visit clay banks regularly, eating mineral soil to neutralize toxins found in the unripe fruit they subsist on. Green Winged Macaws also eat nuts, seeds, berries, greenery, and ripe fruit.  These birds are avid chewers and need plenty of wood, as bored Green Winged Macaws will be destructive, chewing on their cage or anything else they can find! They enjoy bathing and should always have fresh water Green Winged Macaws live nicely with other birds and form strong bonds with their keepers.

Diet:

I recommend a Complete Diet for all Parrots; this also includes fresh fruit and vegetables.

Specific Care Information:

Be sure to check peanuts and Brazil nuts for mould before feeding them to your Greenwing Macaw. They need to be dried upon bathing, either in the sun outdoors or indoors with a hairdryer. Green Winged Macaws need plenty of room to fly or their wing muscles will atrophy. Many people clip the primary flight feathers to allow their birds to glide but not fly.

Green Winged Macaws should be fed a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, greens, grains, nuts, seeds, and a mineral supplement along with peanut butter or other fatty, high-protein treats.  Be sure to provide lots of chewable toys to fend off boredom as all Macaws enjoy chewing and stripping wood.